Description of the attraction
Rezzato is a city in the province of Brescia in the Italian region of Lombardy. One of its main attractions dating back to the prehistoric period is the so-called Ca 'dei Grija - a cave located on the southern slope of Monte Regonia. During archaeological excavations carried out here from 1954 to 1968, artifacts from the Neolithic era were discovered in the cave - the oldest in the entire province. Probably, in ancient times, Ka'dey Grii served as a refuge for primitive people, for the same purposes our contemporaries could have used it during the Second World War. Unfortunately, in 1969 the cave was partially destroyed during the development of a marble quarry.
It is believed that the modern name of the city of Rezzato comes from the medieval word “regadium”, which meant “royal court”, a term used to refer to the area around Brescia. Benedictine monks contributed to the development of the city, draining the surrounding marshes and laying irrigation canals on the Valverde plain.
In the 14th century, as a result of the wars between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, the Visconti clan came to power in Milan and the surrounding lands, which was supported by Emperor Henry VII. And in the 15th century, the western part of Lombardy was captured by the Sforza family, and the territory of the province of Brescia became part of the Venetian Republic. It was during those years that commerce and various crafts began to flourish, and Rezzato became famous throughout Italy for its marble. From the 15th to the early 20th centuries, the mining of marble and other stone was the main branch of the urban economy.
Today, Rezzato can offer tourists several attractions, among which PInAC, the Aldo Cibaldi International Children's Art Gallery, which was opened more than 30 years ago, certainly stands out. The gallery, located on Via Dischiplina, contains about 4, 5 thousand works of art. In the building itself, in addition to the gallery, there is an educational center, where various thematic seminars and trainings are held and Italian and foreign artists perform. The gallery's collection is constantly updated - the staff selects children's drawings, studies them and catalogs them.
Between the small villages of Ponte and Canale in the vicinity of Rezzato stands the luxurious Villa Avogadro-Fenaroli, which for four centuries served as the residence of noble families from Brescia. Its north wing and balcony overlooking Via Scalabrini date from the 16th century. Not far from the garden fence, under the Lebanese cedars, is a covered loggia from the same 16th century. The Gothic greenhouses were built in 1840, and the garden itself underwent significant changes in 1863. Since 2006, the Palace Hotel has been located in Villa Avogadro-Fenaroli.
Behind the villa you can see the Temple of Bacchus, which was destroyed by vandals in 2001, but fortunately was quickly rebuilt as a symbol of urban history.
Since, as mentioned above, Rezzato has been famous for its marble since ancient times, it is not surprising that in 1839 Rudolfo Vantini opened a school for training stone cutters in the building of the City Hall. Vantini himself was one of the best architects in Brescia. The school named after him is now located in the southern part of the city.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that Rezzato has over 8 km of bike paths, which connect the city to the provincial bike path of Rezzato Salò and Lake Garda.
